Snowball Cookies
Updated Nov 27, 2025
Classic pecan snowball cookies that melt in your mouth and use only simple pantry ingredients. Rolled in powdered sugar while warm for a snowy finish.
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Snowball cookies are a must for me!
Melt-in-your-mouth Pecan Snowball Cookies are a holiday classic! They’re nutty, buttery, and dusted in powdered sugar, giving them the appearance of a fluffy little snowball. You only need six simple ingredients to make pecan snowballs, and they come together with just 20 minutes of prep time! Ranking right up there with Gingerbread Cookies and Holiday Sugar Cookies, making Christmas snowball cookies is a tradition for my family this time of year.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Snowball Cookie Ingredients
- Dry Ingredients: For these snowball cookies, you’ll need powdered sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt. Feel free to swap in gluten-free flour!
- Wet Ingredients: Vanilla extract and unsalted butter are all this recipe calls for! You can also try experimenting with almond extract.
- Pecans: I like to chop my pecans myself, but pre-chopped pecans will work, too. And for a nut-free version, try using rainbow sprinkles, instead.
How to Make Snowball Cookies
Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter with ⅓ cup of powdered sugar. Cream at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla extract. Mix at medium speed for 30 seconds, or until combined. Add the chopped pecans, flour and salt and mix at low speed until no streaks of flour remain.
- Set the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 1 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop the dough into even portions, then roll each into an even ball. Makes about 18. Place on the prepared sheet pan, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then roll the slightly warm cookies in the remaining powdered sugar. Let cool completely, then dust any remaining sugar on the cookies until they are thoroughly coated.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to double-coat your cookies in powdered sugar. A double coat of powdered sugar may seem excessive, but there isn’t much sugar in the actual dough of these cookies. Plus, the first layer will melt slightly into the warm cookies. The final coat will give them their festive snowball-like appearance!
- Use a cookie dough scoop. Not only does this make portioning the dough easier, but it also ensures that each cookie is the same size so they all finish baking at the same time.
Serving Ideas
- Pair with a festive drink. During the holiday season, I love eating these cookies with a hot matcha latte, hot chocolate, or egg nog.
FAQs
Crumbly cookies usually don’t have enough moisture. Make sure to measure your flour accurately, because too much flour can dry out the dough. Also, be sure your butter is at room temperature but not too soft or melted.
These cookies will flatten slightly when baked, but they shouldn’t flatten completely. If you skipped the chilling time, this may be why they spread. To help your cookies maintain their shape, try chilling the dough balls for about 10-15 minutes in the freezer before baking. This firms up the fat and helps the cookies stay round while baking.
Comments
I’ve been making snowball cookies for more than 50 years. When my kids were small, I turned the snowballs into surprise snowballs. Instead of adding pecans, you can hide a chocolate chip, raisin, cherry, or any dried fruit or nut in the center. Every bite is a surprise.
Aww, love that!! What a great idea!
Thanks the best recipe ever. Awesome cookies. Love them very good detail on how to make.
So happy you liked them and found the recipe helpful, Janie!! Thank you!
I have made these before. They are my fav cookies, because I love pecans. But mine never look like the ones I see.
I love these cookies too! I hope you’ll try my recipe out and let me know what you think. If you follow the tips from the section titled “Tips for Making the Best Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies,” they should turn out just like the pictures. Enjoy!!
Perfect amount of the very few ingredients to make these cookies. Not too sweet, and the right amount of flake. Huge hit!
Yay! So happy you loved these!
I made the cookies as soon as I seen the recipe. They we’re great
But next time I won’t bake them as long, they were still yummy. I made
A double batch on Monday it’s
Thursday, there’s about 15 left
I got 67 out of that batch. I’ll be making them very soon!!!!***
So happy you enjoyed them!
Best cookies I’ve ever made!
Absolutely loved this recipe. My partner, coworkers, and friends have complimented how great these cookies come out! I made some adjustments – used pistachios and used both almond extract and vanilla extract – but I like a lot of flavor which is why I adjusted!
These can also be made “vegan friendly,” by using Earth Balance sticks of butter (it’s what I used to inclusive at work), so for those vegans out there, you can still try this!
Can’t wait to start adding these on a normal rotation. Thank you for another great recipe! ๐
Thank you, Rob for making them!!
Can you please provide actual butter measurement? We donโt have โsticksโ of butter in Canada ๐จ๐ฆ
This would be 8 tablespoons (113 grams) of butter.
We ๐จ๐ฆ do have sticks. 1/4 lb.
Fabulous so pleased to have found this .
Years ago I lived with an Algerian family they made wonderful sweets a coated Brazil nut or a date wrapped in a paste made from ground almonds ,sugar and rose oil or rose extract .then these were dipped into melted chocolate and rolled in salted roasted crushed pistachios.
Sadly they have both passed away and I do not have the recipes.do you have anything similar please in your wonderful portfolio of recipes ?
I have my family’s snowball recipe and have loved these since my first bite! What I do is make them and after double powder sugaring them all I but all of them in freezing saver ziplock bags and put cup fulls of powder sugar in each bag, shake gently them freeze them. When I need them I remove each frozen ball and put in an airtight container and let them defrost in the fridge overnight. Each are rolled again in powdered sugar before putting them on the cookie tray. Have to say one of my most favorite Christmas cookie. Close second are red velvet whoopie pies with cream cheese frosting filling.
Such a smart way to make them in advance, thanks for sharing!